Sunday, December 31, 2017

Happy New Years America! Wishing everyone a Peaceful and Prosperous 2018!

“Cheers to the New Year and to everyone making resolutions, improving on it and becoming better people!" ~ Gloria Buono-Daly, blogger, inventor, former marketing executive.

Quote taken from C.S. Lewis (Clive Staples Lewis), (11/29/1898 - 11/22/1963) British novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford University and Cambridge University. Most popular books include "Mere Christianity," "The Four Loves," "The Screwtape Letters," and "The Chronicles of Narnia."

Saturday, December 30, 2017

This blog has been updated annually to include the latest trends and findings since the original publication, December 31, 2009 on the AllThingsDigitalMarketing "Evergreen Marketing Insighter" blog post.

However, the trends for 2018 will most likely be the same; for example, predictions of growth in mobile, video, etc. continue for 2018 but keep in mind, eventually there will be a saturation points for mobile, video, wearables, etc. Therefore, this repost from 2017 has a few modifications to account for some enhanced buzz trends.

“Video - video - video music . ly is looking to be huge. House Party is looking to be big as well. Instagram has integrated extensive video capabilities and extending the time from 15 - 60s. Snapshat is basically a video platform and is huge. Learn the differences between each.”~~ Saif Khan, CEO / Founder at Leg Up Social, answering my Quora Q, "What are the latest social media marketing trends for 2017?" (see Quora screenshot below)

As amateur live videos continue to create buzz, hype and engagement, learning about the various new social media platforms is key, this according to Saif Khan, CEO / Founder at Leg Up Social.

Que sera sera whatever 2018 will prove to be in 12 months from now for sure the marriage of Artificial Intelligence with Behavioral Marketing, Privacy, and Live and Mobile Video appear to be the top three trends as well as "Topic Clusters" (FREE "Topic Cluster Keyword Research Template") to watch out for in 2018. Interesting YouTube "Info-Video" titled Topic Clusters: The Next Evolution of Content Strategy below:

There is plenty to learn and this year there's an abundance of powerful links with a wealth of information about the latest trends in social media for 2017 (note "My Favorite Resources" section below ). Video and wearable technologies coupled with the convergence of online and realtime are at the forefront when it comes to the latest social media trends.

According to a report by WebStrategies, in 2016, the average firm will allocate 30% of their marketing budget to online, this rate is expected to grow to 35% by 2019 and search engine marketing (SEO & SEM) will capture the largest share of online spend with online display (banner ads, online video, etc.) taking the second largest share. Additionally, social media investments will continue to grow as an overall share of online spend, but will only represent about 15% of the total online spend while mobile marketing has grown to a point that it’s no longer tracked in the forecast and it’s presumed to be considered across all channels. WebStrategies has a great app on their site which enables marketers to calculate what a company's digital marketing budget should be. Simply plug in a few numbers and voilà, you get your overall plus all the breakdowns as to how you should allocate your spending. Click here to get your "Calc Away your Digital Marketing Budget with FREE Digital Marketing Calculator from WebStrategies!"According to ShoutMeLoud, a blog for bloggers, video ads will continue to dominate the webosphere and therefore Digital Marketing spending. Also, 2017 will be the year of wearable technology marrying "real" and "online" marketing into one.You’ve been ready since digital marketing became popular in 2007 but are so busy that you get off track and end up putting it back in the proverbial rainy-day pile for next quarter. Hundreds of rainy days later and you have no idea what your SEO program is let alone the basic concept of relevant keywording, linkbuilding and the latest, MOBILE tail end phrases.

There are probably hundreds to thousands of FREE SEO tips you can incorporate into your internet marketing program. Although previous years listed the top social as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google and Instagram a recent report by Inc.com indicates the top four as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Yet, according to another reliable source eBiz MBA Guide | December 2014, the top 5 of their top 15 most popular social are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google -- which happen to be the 5 most popular social I use most ( Google it's mostly a combination of blogger, Youtube and Google+). Surprisingly Instagram came in at #7 behind Tumbler their 6th. More is at the eBiz MBA Guide site (see link below in the resources section.

I’ve listed below key tips to help jump-start your 2017 New Year reSEOlution. Along the way, I’ve included a few helpful URLs that will provide you with many more SEO tips to choose from.

1. As always (since my first reSEOlution blog December 31, 2009), review your SEO stats for the past 3 years; This is crucial in order to effectively analyze and incorporate SEO strategies and plans. Make sure your existing marketing program is enhanced with MOBILE and REAL-TIME campaigns and consider the mindset logic that mobile is much different than laptop/desktop, phablet, etc. Create a spreadsheet of your SEO program and include timelines, milestones, language, personas, and other relevant items unique to your product/brand. Make sure you update and review this spreadsheet on a daily to weekly basis and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly; Don’t forget to include ALL CAMPAIGNS and leave plenty of space to add on to as you move down this list

2. Wearable technologies and online marketing have been converging ~ newlyweds Real-Time and Online marketing will become bigger than mobile. A Forbes post last year, Real-Time Marketing Analytics will converge Online and Offline Behavior for Richer Lead Scoring and Nurturing in 2016, and this prediction indeed came true. And Twitter will continue to be the key mix in helping marketers track their brand particularly in regards to product awareness, competitors and word of mouth. Also, according to Social Technology Review, since 2011, Twitter users are well educated ... "16%+ of their users hold advanced degrees and 30%+ hold 4-year degrees..." This means Twitterers live in higher income areas and have much higher purchasing power than the other social media. Free downloadable applications are also big and enable companies to increase reader engagement. Web Strategies has a great app and it's free - a Digital Marketing Budget Calculator. MOre on this

Branding strategies are crucial and Social Technology Review also reported that Twitter users are +68% more likely to follow brands than the social media platform average (e.g.,Social Technology Review reported that 51% of Twitter users follow brands versus the 16% average from the social media spectrum). Also worth noting, Twitter users are more global than the other social networks, which optimizes international consumer potential at the lowest cost.

3. Mobile HAS WON and Worldwide Digital Marketing has replaced the traditional Digital Marketing arena. According to a 2016 eMarketer post, Mobile Ad Spend Topped $100 Billion Worldwide in 2016, and will reach a milestone of having more than half (at least 51%) being spent on all digital ad expenditures for the first time. eMarketer also predicts that between 2016 and 2019, the last year mobile ad spending will nearly double, hitting $195.55 billion to account for 70.1% of digital ad spend as well as over one-quarter of total media ad spending globally. Besides optimizing web sites for MOBILE webpages and rankings in SERP – user agents for search and bots should go to the same webpage version. Traffic is important but not if drops in conversion rates continue. Relevant messaging and mobile layouts need to be tailored to customers to create engagement and minimize the risk of higher bounce rates. It is also still important to create a map. Make sure web and mobile have consistent (vertically oriented) navigation especially since MOBILE devices have touchscreens. I’m amazed at how many web sites are not optimizing their site maps; Yes you’ve had a site map since the web site was first created but is it optimized to include relevant keyword descriptions, etc?

4.Although the old marketing rule "incorporate keywords in your anchor text" still applies, besides focusing on algorithms by Google, digital marketing program also needs to incorporate Facebook and Bing algorithms. Depending on your product or service, keywords may need to be revised regularly.

5. Create a schedule for frequency in updating meta tag descriptions consistently; A Meta tag description is the snippet that is included with your organic search listing. The more creative and appealing your copy with relevant keywords that match your web site the better chances you have of being indexed more prominently. So frequently review meta tag keywords and make sure a comma is after each keyword and that the max is no more than 250 characters (including spaces). This is a common error that is mosty overlooked; However, this can make or break you organic positioning in search engine rankings and listings. Also, don't forget other platforms particularly MOBILE. Make sure to incorporate end phrases in mobile campaigns as well.

6. MARKETING MEMES are integral to spreading word of mouth and increasing brand awareness. Make sure to incorporate hastags, at signs, etc. in every digital marketing platform particularly for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, etc. Also for websites, review title tags and use 3 to 4 relevant keywords -- repeating them each at least 2X but no more than 3X; Characters should not exceed 150 (including spaces). For example, a jewelry site might have the following title: "AnnHarringtonJewelry.com, discount diamond rings, diamond jewelry, diamond engagement rings, antique jewelry, modern jewelry" – note the web site URL address is 1st, then followed by the use of keywords "diamond" used 3X, "rings" used 2X, and "jewelry" used 3X, all relevant to this web site; All following the SEO industry standard as mentioned in this section (see 1st sentence).

7. Maximize the social networks, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Equally important is to repeat your posts (e.g., Hoot Suite for repeating Tweets). For more ideas visit these resourceful sites that have plenty of suggestions - seobook.com, searchengineland.com and moz.org (formerly seomoz.org)

“In order for retailers to compete with the 800lb gorilla that is Amazon, they must provide shoppers with a unique in-store experience with tailored-made engagement. Leveraging location-based marketing through a retailer’s branded mobile app allows retailers to drive traffic through relevant, contextual mobile marketing” - Eric Newman, VP of Products & Marketing at Digby

According to many social media periodicals and leading marketers in New York City, Pinterest and Instagram still remain top platforms for lead generation and visual integration. No surprise here that YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Vine will play more prominent roles in digital marketing strategies for brands and products especially as video production and posting videos become more mainstream. However, one of Forbes 2016 predictions is that wearable technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) will pave new ground. This is leading way for virtual and augmented reality including self-driving cars, Facebook's acquisition of Oculus, the Oculus Rift augmented-reality product soon to be launched along with Microsoft's HoloLens and next-generation Google Glass.

10. VIDEO CLOUD and THE AGE OF SOCIAL VIDEO AFICI0NADOS ARE HERE TO STAY: Are you a "social video aficionado?" If you're on FB you definitely are more "videofied" than previous years. Facebook's already doing it for you and the rest of the world for free, with "LookBack" and the latest out just in time for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the New Year with "Your Year." A recent Forbes report titled The Top 7 Online Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2016 indicates that videos will continue to dominate and apps will gradually replace optimized mobile sites. Although Facebook is winning with Social Videos -- "80 percent said they create videos to keep in touch with friends and family, 72 percent said they use videos as keepsakes ... " according to the Animoto research survey there is an even spread as to where video creators store their videos (who will the new dominant force be for personal video stoage?) -- i.e., 28% of consumers store their photos and videos on their PCs, 21% of consumers store their photos and videos on a USB or external hard drive, and 21% of consumers citing a cloud storage service as the primary place they store their photos and videos.

Remember your "New Year reSEOlution program" is a WIP (work in progress) and the more regularly you review, update and add to your existing SEO program, the more impact your SEO will have to your bottom line.

Wishing you and yours a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Please bookmark, subscribe and share with your social media and other professional networks. Thanks!

"...When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things -- not the great occasions -- give off the greatest glow of happiness..."~~ Bob Hope(May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003)English-born American comedian and actor on Broadway, in vaudeville, movies, television, and radio.

This year, Hanukkah began on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 and ended Wednesday, December 20, 2017.

Kwanza will begin on Tuesday, December 26 and will end on New Years Day, Monday, January 1, 2018.

Like many households during Christmas season, in the center of our table you will find all sorts of desserts --cookies, cakes, Italian pastries, etc.

During the 12 days before Christmas and the 8 lights days of Hanukkah have fun decorating, baking and partying with family and friends.

During the 12 days before Christmas and the 8 lights days of Hanukkah have fun decorating, baking and partying with family and friends.

There are so many other traditions and cultural customs during this festive season. Week-long holiday, Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th through January 1st and symbolizes "fruits of the harvest." Held in the United States since 1966, Kwanzaa honors African heritage in African American culture. Kwanza was created by Maulana Karenga in 1965 and has seven core principles (Nguzo Saba). Traditions include baskets full of fruit and gift-giving.

Every once in a while during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I would bring that favorite, rich treat to my family table -- dark, decadent chocolate mousse.

Every once in a while, I would bring that favorite, rich treat -- dark, decadent chocolate mousse.

What makes mousse so unique is the light and airy texture from air bubbles.

Depending on preparation and mix intensity mousse variations range from light and fluffy to creamy and thick and can be sweet, bitter or savory. The great thing about this dessert is the prep time is only six minutes and then all you need do is refrigerate it for an hour.

OPTIONAL:► 2 tablespoons of instant espresso► Be imaginative. Try something different and share it by commenting on this blog► I've tried with the usual raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, but also tried cinnamon sticks, walnuts, cranberries, etc.

Step 2 : Mousse (3 min) ► In a separate bowl combine the sugar, cocoa, whipping cream, and vanilla; stir to blend► Beat on medium speed of electric mixer, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times, until the mixture is stiff► Add the gelatin mixture and beat until well blended.Step 3 : Spoon in dish and chill (60 min) ► Spoon the chocolate mousse into dessert dishes or glasses► Sprinkle mousse with chocolate curls, if desired►Chill for at least 1 hour before serving makes eight 6oz servings (parenthesis numbers make up to 32 6oz servingsTotal time - 1 Hour and 6 Minutes

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Skate America – An Olympics Preview

Those who follow this blog know that I am an avid figure skating fan and try to attend as many live events that I can (budget and time permitting). I try to see at least one live competition a year ever since I went to Boston in 2016 to see the World Championships.

Seeing skating live is much different than on TV, not only are the costumes more sparkly in person but I get a different appreciation for the skaters’ speed and ice coverage. The energy is much different at a live event, too that you can’t get by watching on TV or Youtube. There are also opportunities to meet the skaters and other fans, which is fun!

This year, I made the 250 plus mile trek (and I do mean trek) to snowy Lake Placid to attend Skate America, which is part of the six event Grand Prix series that occurs every fall. Top tier skaters from around the globe compete twice for a place in the Final, which takes place in Nagoya, Japan December 7-10. Only six are selected from each discipline (Ladies, Men, Dance and Pairs) to compete based on their results from the six events.

Skate America is usually held in mid-October but it was changed this year to Thanksgiving weekend presumably for NBC sports to promote the Olympics, where figure skating is a usually a top audience draw. With the Olympics happening in less than two months’ time, I will give my impressions how this event may impact who gets selected for Team USA. The team announcements will be made the first week of January, following US Nationals in San Jose, CA.

Ladies: The US has three ladies’ spots for the Olympic team. At this event were two of the top contenders, current US Champion Karen Chen and veteran Ashley Wagner who won a silver medal at Worlds in 2016 and has three US titles. Both Chen and Wagner had a challenging competition here with Chen suffering a hard fall during her “On Golden Pond” short program and Wagner withdrawing from the competition mid-skate during her “Moulin Rouge” program due to an ankle injury.

The big story at Skate America was Bradie Tennell, who was not on the radar as a serious contender for the team until this event. Tennell had two clean programs and scored over 200 points overall, securing a bronze medal behind the gold and silver medalists from Japan, Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto. Tennell is one of the few American women with a stellar jump technique and has been consistently landing them in smaller competitions. Many had not heard of her before this event, but now she is a one to watch to contend for the US title. Other contenders to make the team are Mirai Nagasu, who was 4th in the 2010 Olympics and now has a triple axel in her arsenal of jumps and Mariah Bell, last year's bronze medalist at Nationals.

Men: Another headlining story at Skate America were the gold and silver medalists: current US Champion Nathan Chen (no relation to Karen) and Adam Rippon, who had the title in 2016. Chen is the one you will be seeing all over the Olympic commercials (he has endorsements with Coke and Bridgestone Tires, among others) and has made a name for himself the past couple of seasons as one of the few US men to consistently land difficult quadruple jumps to compete internationally. Some are predicting he could win gold at the Olympics!

Rippon is a veteran who is not known for landing quads but his consistent quality of performance and artistry. His program to "Arrival of the Birds/Exodus/O (Fly On)" choreographed by Dancing With the Stars' Benji Schwimmer has been a crowd pleaser the past two seasons. During his free program, Rippon fell on his quad lutz jump and dislocated his shoulder. To the crowd’s amazement, he got up and popped it in and continued to land all of his jumps and mesmerize the audience. He even won that segment of the competition over his teammate Chen! (Not to mention cleaning up bugs off the ice before his skate - see video below)

Chen (who had a stellar short program to the song “Nemesis” by Benjamin Clementine, scoring over 100 points) faltered in the free skate by popping a few jumps due to issues he was having with his skates. He still had enough of a lead from his short program to win by about 10 points. Another American skater, Ross Miner, competed here and placed a respectable sixth out of ten skaters who completed the competition. (There were two withdrawals here due to injury; Russia’s Maxim Kovtun and Israel’s Daniel Samohin, who also dislocated his shoulder during his freeskate. Figure skating is no joke!)

I expect to see Chen and Rippon (who also share the same coach, Rafael Aryutunyan) on the Olympic team. The third spot is up in the air now, but my bet is on fan favorite Jason Brown, who did not compete at this event. Chen and Rippon also qualified for the Grand Prix Final here, which can help solidify their campaigns to represent USA in PyeongChang. (By the way, I was lucky enough to meet Rippon after the men’s free at a local restaurant and congratulate him on his performance).

ETA 12.1.17: Jason Brown will also be going to the final, with the withdrawal of China's Boyang Jin. This is the first time there have been three US men in a Grand Prix Final since 2009!

Maia and Alex Shibutani take their bows following their free dance

Dance: Two time and current US Champions, siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani won the gold here, surprising nobody. They got well deserved personal best scores for their Latin themed short dance and their free dance to Coldplay’s “Paradise.” The Shibutanis will be named to the US team, along with Madison Chock and Evan Bates and Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue, who did not compete here. All three of these teams will be in the Grand Prix Final.

Two up and coming US dance teams, Kaitlyn Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker and the Parsons siblings (Rachel and Michael) placed 5th and 9th here, respectively.

Pairs: The US only has one spot on the Olympic team for pairs, which will most likely go to married pair team Alexa and Chris Knierim. They were US champions in 2015 but were out for most of last season due to a serious illness that sidelined Alexa for months. They have great elements such as their triple twist and throw jumps but struggle on side by side jumps, which left them in 5th place here, among stiff competition from the top teams from Germany, China, Canada and Russia.

Still, they are the most polished of the US pairs and will be selected over teammates Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (who won the 2017 title in the Knierim’s absence) and Deanna Stellato and Nate Bartholomay, who placed 7th and 8th here, respectively.

If you’re still reading this (lol), I hope you enjoyed my analysis of the US skaters at this event and watch them compete in PyeongChang in February. I also plan to travel to San Jose for the senior level events and will be sure to blog my impressions!

Andrea Goldstein is a digital marketing
professional with a passion for pop culture.
@nydigitalmarket on Twitter

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

This has been posted annually with minor revisions since the first 2012 Thanksgiving post! Enjoy

"My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor." ~~ Phyllis Diller, American stand-up comedienne, actress, voice artist, and comedienne, best known for her eccentric stage persona and her wild hair and clothes.(b. July 17, 1917 – d. August 20, 2012)

Happy 396th Thanksgiving Day America!

Thanksgiving, referred to by many Americans as "First Thanksgiving" was originally celebrated by the Pilgrims and Colonists after their first harvest in the New World in the year 1621 when they invited the Wamponaog Indians to their autumn harvest feast. Photo above right of a food decoration for Erntedankfest, a Christian Thanksgiving harvest festival celebrated in Germany courtesy of Wikimedia.org.

AllThingsDigitalMarketing blog would not stand to it's allthingsdigitalmarketing motif without a collage of "Thanksgiving Google Doodles" past and analysis of Google's basic design structure over the years. Besides the Google logo differentiating itself from the other search engines (e.g., Yahoo, Lycos, HotBot, etc.) it symbolizes uniqueness and mold-breaking vision. Below are Google's Thanksgiving doodles from the very first doodle in 1998 through present. (This collage will be updated with the most current Google doodle asap, so bookmark and visit frequently). Interesting to see what Google will do this year.

The very first Thanksgiving doodle was posted in 1998 (see collage above, lower right). Note how the clean, conservative signature Google logo design breaks all the conventional rules of branding and logo design. Ruth Kedar, graphic designer of Google's doodle, created one of the most recognizable logos (within a few years, Google's logo became as popular as NBC proud peacock and the CBS eye, also known as the "Tiffany Network"). Below are examples of standard branding rules Kedar obviously ignored: • Don't incorporate more than 2 bold colors (Google uses 4 bold colors, playing with colors created a very child-like, playful yet bold design); • Never over-kern letters (Google has excessive, uneven spacing in-between letters. Even though they have made a few changes (the latest in May 2014) the spacing is way off and obvious to the naked eye); • Stay away from simple, elementary fonts (The original choice was the world's most popular typeface -- "Times Roman;" However Google's simple, chisel-style "Catull" typeface was selected for the subtle, sophisticated sans-serif design which incorporated old world writing style (e.g.,chisel and quill) with new age digital.

Google signature brand elements remained unchanged for the first Thanksgiving doodle (1998) with the exception of an exclamation mark and cartoon-like turkey, respectively at the very end of the word Google.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. Although Thanksgiving is celebrated by many in religion and cultural traditions, it is also a world-wide (non-religious) celebration. Photo right miniature pumpkins by Gloria Buono-Daly (taken at Stew Leonards, Yonkers, NY, October 2013).

Our 16th President of the U.S.A., Abraham Lincoln, declared Thanksgiving Day a national holiday to be held annually in November during the Civil War (1863). Although New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday in 1817.

Not surprising, many Native Americans as well as other individuals disagree with the way Thanksgiving is mentioned historically particularly in text books, school classrooms and other periodicals. They believe millions of deaths resulted from the long and bloody war between Native Americans and European settlers and call Thanksgiving a "day of mourning." A History.com posting, reports that since 1970, protesters have gathered on Thanksgiving Day at the top of Cole’s Hill, which overlooks Plymouth Rock, to commemorate a “National Day of Mourning.” Similar events are held in other parts of the country.

Photo below left of Black Friday sale courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.

This Thanksgiving for sure many will eat, drink, and sleep while others will shop till they drop for many things especially electronics, smart phones and iPhones.Samsung usually advertises their new products and for sure many will consider the latest Samsung Notebook 4 (released in mid October).

So be on the lookout for discounts if you are interested. Not surprising, iPhones will not have discounts.

Phone companies offer no-finance monthly plans with a slight discount if you lock yourself into a 2 year plan. Since many are not opting for cell phone lock-ins, you may find great deals for comparative, non-Apple products.What will you be doing this Thanksgiving Day?

There are plenty of things to do on Thanksgiving -- see links below in the "Resources" section.

Thanksgiving Day (Jour de l'Action de grâce in Canadian French) is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.

Veterans Day coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Thank you to all of our Veterans and families.

The United States originally observed Armistice Day and it was renamed to Veterans Day holiday in 1954.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day as November 11, 1919.

Seven years later, the United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution (June 4, 1926), and requested that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11th.Photo right of soldier with folded American flag courtesy of wikimedia.

I was fortunate to receive this interesting article from one of my dearest cousins about my late father and his 3 brothers(total 7 brothers, 1 sister) who served during World War II.

Coincidentally, major hostilities of World War I formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.

Do you plan on doing anything this Veterans Day?

Many celebrate with family and friends, and there are so many special ways to celebrate.

For example, sharing photos of loved ones who have served in the armed forces (I've just done that via the photo above), posting to your social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, blogs, etc. Also the traditional VD Parades, especially in New York City.Photo below right of bald eagle courtesy of wikimedia.

Parades are wonderful especially for children. Being creative with children is also an excellent way to help them learn about history and Veterans Day. Have them read various periodicals (e.g., books, newspapers, magazines, internet, photos of soldiers, etc.) and ask them to draw pictures of various images that remind them of Veterans Day such as our American flag, relatives in uniform, Veterans Day Memorials, and our national emblem, the bald eagle. And you can also enjoy the parade at home with family by watching it on TV live or online ~ Watch the Parade!

If you happen to be in New York City, there's always the Veterans Day Parade, this year, the theme is “Honor and Remember, Home of the Brave” commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II and the 25th Anniversary of Desert Shield. Organized in New York since 1929 by the United War Veterans Council (UWVC) this parade is the largest Veterans Day event in the nation with over 25,000 parade participants, and this year marks the 87thyear!

The wreath laying ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at the Eternal Flame in Madison Square Park (located in the Flat Iron district of New York City) and the parade begins at 11:25 a.m. and ends 3:30 p.m.

Photo below left of Aviation High School at Madison Square Park during the NYC Veterans Day Parade courtesy of wikimedia.

The parade goes up Fifth Avenue, from 26th to 52nd Street. The route is 1.3 miles (approx. a 35 minute walk).

The Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are also represented.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Mika Brzezinski, best known for co-hosting MSNBC’s Morning Joe (with her now fiancé, Joe Scarborough), is a bestselling author of books for professional women. One of her titles, Knowing Your Value (Hachette Books), is a guide “to empower women to claim their worth at every stage of their personal and professional lives.” (Hachette is releasing a revised version in September 2018)

Brzezinski has recently expanded the Know Your Value brand by hosting live events and a new website. One such event was held on October 30th at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, featuring such luminaries as Martha Stewart, Jane Pauley and Sarah Jessica Parker, not to mention Joe Scarborough, who acted as co-host. Oh, and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio stopped by to declare it “Know Your Value” day (and presumably to court women voters)!

The day was packed with interviews, panels, and workshops covering personal branding, salary negotiating, health/wellness, re-launching a career after taking time off to care for family, body language, millennials in the workforce and more. There was also a contest featuring three everyday women who, after some professional coaching and styling, pitched their value. The winner, Tiffany Hamilton, received $5,000 after an impassioned one-minute speech which made WNBC’s New York Live host and judge Sara Gore get teary eyed (NBC’s Willie Geist and InStyle’s Laura Brown were the other judges).

Brzezinski also spoke throughout the day, advising women how to Know Their Value:

1)Stop Apologizing - Women say “I’m sorry” too often and in the process, diminish their value in comparison to men.
2)Get Your Data – Have metrics handy of the value you bring to your company’s business. Think how much revenue did you generate or how much did you save the company by implementing a project? What awards have you won?
3)Respect First, Friendship Follows – You are not at work to make friends but be respected for your value. Relationships are important at work, but they need to respect you first.
4)Dress for Your Message – Wear clothing that makes you confident and expresses your brand.
5)Use Silence for Your Advantage – When asking for something – make your case and ask, then be quiet.
6)Press Reset – You can always try again if you don’t succeed the first time.

Here are some highlights and tips from some of the Know Your Value presenters:

Martha Stewart, now well into her 70s, keeps her creative juices flowing by always being curious, reading and getting out to meet new people. (She also memorably described her TV co-host Snoop Dogg as intelligent, funny and always reeking of pot!)

Sarah Jessica Parker has parlayed her “Sex and the City” fame into a successful shoe line. Although a shoe line was always a natural extension of her brand and many wanted to work with her, she refused to compromise on quality and decided to work with Manolo Blahnik CEO George Malkemus to bring her shoes to market. She also says to learn the business she “is quiet and learns” and surrounds herself with people who know more than she does, so she can learn. She also spoke of having a strong work ethic, being reliable and watching how you treat others.

News anchor and journalist Jane Pauley, who was diagnosed as bi-polar when she was 49, talked about self-care being important for all women, not just for someone who is managing a physical or mental illness. She gets plenty of sleep and takes her medication daily, describing her 50s and 60s as the best years of her life.

InStyle’s Editor in Chief Laura Brown is known for her “kooky” Instagram account which she describes as a magazine of her life. She advises women to be authentic and use their inner 8-year-old as a guide to what makes them happy. She is also using InStyle to highlight “badass women” such as Cate Blanchett and write about social change through interviews with political figures such as former Vice President Joe Biden.

The BBC’s Katty Kay, who co-authored The Confidence Code, advises women to assess why they deserve a raise, list achievements and prepare and strategize before asking her boss. She also says that persistence is key and making it a win/win for the employer. She also says not to cry and learn to respond to objections in real time.

Body language expert Janine Driver gave a riotous presentation where she gave some great do’s and don’ts. She said to focus on voice and posture and to shake hands while facing someone with your body, and to grab your chin to show confidence and stature. She also explained why Hillary Clinton shimmied during her debates with Donald Trump – it was done to control anger – it’s impossible to stay angry when you are shimmying! Some don’ts included not to shrug (shows uncertainty and not caring) or to shake hands with your body turned to the side.

Fitness guru Tracy Anderson spoke about the importance of daily exercise (30-60 minutes) for all women and they should choose something they enjoy. She also talked about how important Instagram has been to her success with her #tamily hashtag that brings her fans together and connect.

In all, this was a great event and I applaud Mika Brzezinski and her team for pulling it together. If I had a criticism, I felt she tried to jam almost too many topics into the day, so there wasn’t enough time to really dive into each. (I was also expecting a complimentary copy of Knowing Your Value, having been to similar events where the book is always included in the price of admission. In this case, they were selling books in the lobby to be signed by Brzezinski).

Andrea Goldstein is a digital marketing
professional with a passion for pop culture.
@nydigitalmarket on Twitter

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

"Double, double toil and trouble;fire burn and cauldron bubble." ~~ William Shakespeare, “Macbeth, 1611 English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". (1564-1616)

Follow feline freshman Momo on her quest to rescue her magic academy. Score points and help ward off mischievious ghosts by swiping in the shape of the symbols above the ghosts’ heads. And you’d better pounce fast—the ghost that stole the master spellbook is getting away!

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening"), also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows (or All Saints) and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.

According to Frank Leslie's popular monthly, (Volume 40, November 1895, p. 540-543) in Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and was recorded in Scotland at Halloween as far back as 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visited homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.

The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood was first noted by Rogers, Nicholas, "Coming Over: Halloween in North America". Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. p.76. Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-19-514691-3.

American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America":

"The taste in Hallowe'en festivities now is to study old traditions, and hold a Scotch party, using Burn's poem Hallowe'en as a guide; or to go a-souling as the English used. In short, no custom that was once honored at Hallowe'en is out of fashion now."

Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks! This is a reposting from previous Happy Halloween blog postings from AllThingsDigitalMarketing.